Montreal Roses FC has fired head coach Robert Rositoiu one day after an upset loss in the W Canadian Championship. Sporting director Marinette Pichon announced Thursday that Maryse Bard-Martel, the Roses’ first assistant coach and head of goalkeeping, will take over on an interim basis until a new head coach is hired. The Roses dropped a 1-0 decision to semi-pro side Simcoe County of the Ontario Premier League in their first-ever W Canadian Championship match Wednesday night at Stade Boréale, exiting the tournament in the quarterfinals. Rositoiu, however, had the club sitting second in the Northern Super League standings at 8-4-3 with 10 games remaining in the regular season. The Romanian-Canadian was named the Roses’ first head coach in September 2024 and guided the team to a semifinal berth in its inaugural season. Montreal returns to action Sunday against AFC Toronto. “Robert has left an indelible mark on this club by guiding us through our foundational first steps,” Pichon said in a statement. “He established a competitive culture and played a pivotal role in the development of many of our players. Relieving a coach of their duties is always an agonizing decision, and this choice was made with the utmost respect for Robert as both a person and a professional. “However, we firmly believe a new spark is required to propel the club through the remainder of the season and take the next step in our growth as a franchise. On behalf of the entire organization, I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to Robert and wish him every success in his future endeavours.” This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 13, 2026.
